The Effects of the Earth’s Motions, 2011. barometers, plastic, paint, gold leaf, pine cone, paper, thread, metal chain. 70cm x 52cm x 20cm
Siren, 2010. Steel bird cage, gold paint, artificial flowers, invisible thread. 162cm x 84cm x 62cm
Relic #21, After Piers Wardle, 2011. Artificial flowers, bone, acrylic paint, wire. 35cm x 60cm x 35cm
Against Nature, 2012. Artificial flowers, expandable foam, concrete, gold paint, steel, cast iron, glue. 146cm x 53cm x 53cm
As part of FADs support for emerging artists we have teamed up with The Other Art Fair to showcase 14 of the exhibiting artists at Boxpark.
The Artists where chosen by Ryan Stanier (Fair Director TOAF) and Mark Westall ( Creative Director FAD) and they will have a piece of their work exhibited by poster In an exhibition at The Boxpark Gallery.
There will also be an art opening on Thursday May 3rd which will have live + performance art, Music + free drink + much more.
In the lead up to this event FAD will be showcasing each of the 14 Artists who were chosen
#FIVE: Chantal Powell.
1.If you weren’t an artist, what else would you be?
I think I would make a fantastic aerial performer with the Cirque du Solei!
Aside from that I can’t think of anything that would be a substitute for being an artist.
I did a PhD in social psychology and my interest in human emotions and behaviour is still prevalent in my artwork. Studying and lecturing in psychology was never enough however because it didn’t fulfil the ever-present urge I have to create. I feel very privileged that I get to spend so much of my life doing what I love and feel driven to do.
2. Can you tell us more about your work and what are the main ideas you would like to express?I’m trying to grasp hold of the intangible things that really resonate with me and to give them form. Aesthetically I get excited about the theatrical and the dramatic. Conceptually I am interested in exploring beauty, intimacy, storytelling and revelation.
In current work I have been thinking about how and why we can choose to believe in things that have been proven to be false.
3. How do you start the process of making work?The starting point of a work is when the right materials (the ingredients of the form) are matched with the content I have been contemplating. At the beginning of the process I spend a lot of time looking at materials, objects and images to digest their vocabulary. In parallel to that that I will be mentally and emotionally exploring the concept, emotion or story I want to convey from different angles. It may be that this is developed over more than one work.
4. Do you consider the viewer, when making your work?Yes. Ultimately I am working out something personal from myself but I do want to communicate something of that so I do need to consider how the viewer receives the work. I think my work can be taken on a number of levels – on the surface there is usually something aesthetically striking or intriguing that can be enjoyed on that level alone. If the viewer then wants to go deeper there are associations to be found and beyond that personal reflections that can be made. It is up to each individual how far they want to take the experience. I feel a piece is most successful when it gives the viewer an open ended journey – there is then reason to return and continue looking.
5. Name 3 artists that have inspired your work?
Annette Messager,
Karen Killimnik
Cildo Meireles
6. Name 3 of your least favourite artists.
I’d rather say that my least favourite art tends to be that which is devoid of emotion. Art that is talking about itself or making a statement out of cleverness rather than sincerity leaves me cold.
7. What defines something as a work of art?
I think three things that define a good work of art are passion, ambition and sincerity. Art at its best excites the spirit and effectively expresses something of our humanity.
8. In times of austerity, do you think art has a moral obligation to respond topically?In my opinion the only real moral obligation an artist has is to make work that is honest and sincerely of themselves.
9. Anytime, any place – which artist’s body would you most like to inhabit?
For the sheer romance of it I would inhabit the body of a painter in renaissance Venice. I would then paint by day and stroll the magical moonlit canals by night.
10. What is your favourite ‘ism’?
Romanticism because of its emphasis on the emotional, imaginative and personal aspects of life. It gets big points from me for passion and drama too. I love the theatrics.
11. What was the most intelligent thing that someone said or wrote about your work?“If it is an artist’s job to get you to think about your world in a different way then Powell’s work is an utter success. We are not beaten into submission or shocked out of ourselves, we are beguiled by familiar objects being slightly subverted, just out of the ordinary enough to demand that you think about them and see them take on new meaning.”
12. And the dumbest?
“That many peacock feathers together must be really unlucky. Doesn’t that worry you?”
13. Which artists would you most like to rip off, sorry, I mean appropriate as a critique of originality and authorship?
Ha can I cheat a bit and say what I would love to do is collaborate with an artist like Petah Coyne and have the opportunity to learn from her. I think it would be incredibly enriching to my practice to have a mentor.
14. Do you care what your art costs? State your reasons!
Yes because it influences the resources that are available to make future work and that removes restrictions on processes and materials.
15. If Moma and the Tate and the Pompidou wanted to acquire one of your works each, which would you want them to have?
I’m always most excited about what I am going to make next so I would want to make new works for all three. I have some big “one day” projects in mind that would be wonderful to execute for those spaces. The first is an installation that will involve subjecting objects to the process that occurs in a petrifying well. I think I will let the Tate have that one. Moma and the Pompidou will receive fantastical works that feature large scale carousel horses digitally modelled and then laser cut from polystyrene.
16. What’s next for you?
This month I am installing a commissioned piece in a Grade II listed church building. In May I will be taking part in The Other Art Fair and later in the summer I have been invited to participate in an international show at The Royal West Academy in Bristol called, Unnatural, Natural History. I am currently working on an installation piece for that as well as exploring some new ideas for work inspired by the novel I’m currently reading Laura: A Journey into the Crystal by George Sand (1864).
There is also the on-going collaborative project I am leading with artist Dean Melbourne and curator Anneka French titled, The Fall Of The Majestic. It is a constantly evolving, experiential exhibition that we are touring to different locations and inviting different creatives to participate in.
The Other Art Fair + FAD pre fair party Thursday May 3rd 2012 from 6pm at Boxpark
Join The Facebook Event for more info and a free drink: www.facebook.com/
